Chapter 9: Re-Negotiations

The very next day, Sarah received a call from her grandmother. The news was devastating: the project she had worked so hard on had been transferred to James. Furthermore, her grandmother suggested she take a few days off. Sarah's heart sank; all her effort and success had been in vain.

Aaron noticed Sarah's distress. "Sarah, what's the matter?" he asked, his face full of concern. Sarah sat on the couch and sighed heavily. "Grandma gave the project to James. She said I wasn't 'qualified.' You know, I thought things would be different this time," Sarah stated evenly. "I hoped Grandma would acknowledge my hard work and finally support me, but it's clear I'll never live up to her expectations. James will always be her number one, and I'll just be everyone's punching bag." She stood up and left the room. As she walked away, Aaron noticed her wiping tears from her face.

Aaron's anger boiled. Despite all Sarah had done for the family, she was still treated unfairly while someone like James was glorified. He took out his phone and dialed Natalie. Within seconds, she answered.

"Natalie, in the next few days, two individuals—James and Jeremy—will come to Apex to deliver the contract and discuss the partnership. I want you to make it explicitly clear to them that we will only partner with the Prescotts if Sarah is the representative. Also, remind them about the mandate: it will only be canceled if our conditions are met. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Loud and clear," Natalie replied.

"Good," Aaron said before hanging up.

---

A few days later, James and Jeremy arrived at Apex. Unlike their previous visit, they were not turned away at reception. Instead, they were led to a waiting room, where they sat for hours without being attended to. Every time they asked about meeting the CEO, they were either ignored or told to wait. Eventually, James lost his patience. Marching to the receptionist's desk, he confronted her.

"Hey! What is the meaning of this? We've been waiting for hours, and your boss hasn't shown up. Where the hell is he?" he shouted.

Clara, the receptionist, looked up calmly. "Sir, what business do you have with the CEO?" she asked.

James's frustration boiled over. "What business I have with him is none of your business," he snapped. "You're just a dumb secretary. Why don't you do your job and—"

Before he could finish, he reached across the desk and grabbed Clara's collar, yanking her forward. Clara, still remarkably composed, stared at him coldly. "Sir, I suggest you let go of me," she said, her voice firm but calm.

At that moment, four muscular security guards appeared, their imposing figures casting shadows over the scene. James immediately released Clara and raised his hands in an attempt to downplay the situation. "Hey, hey, it's not what it looks like," he said, forcing a nervous laugh. "I was just… making a point, that's all. No need to overreact."

The guards were unmoved. Jim, the head of security, stepped forward. "You think you can come in here and put your hands on our staff?" he growled. "We'll teach you some manners."

"Wait!" James tried to protest, but his plea fell on deaf ears. The guards descended upon him, delivering a brutal and well-deserved beating. James's cries of pain echoed through the hallway as fists landed mercilessly. Jeremy, watching in stunned silence, made no move to intervene, clearly fearing he might become the next target.

When the guards finally stopped, James was unrecognizable. His face was swollen and bloodied, and he whimpered pathetically on the floor. Clara straightened her collar and returned to her desk, unfazed by the chaos.

Natalie appeared moments later, surveying the scene with satisfaction. She turned to Jeremy, who stood frozen in shock. "Mr. Prescott," she began, "my boss asked me to inform you that we will not work with the Prescotts unless Sarah Prescott is your representative. If this condition is not met, we will not only refuse the partnership but also maintain the current mandate. Additionally, out of the 30 percent promised to your family, 29 percent will go to Mrs. Sarah Prescott."

Jeremy nodded wordlessly, too afraid to argue.

"Did you understand, Mr. Prescott?" Natalie asked, her tone sharp.

"Yes," Jeremy managed to whisper.

"Good. Now pick up your son and get out of here," she ordered.

---

Eleanor soon heard of her favorite grandson's beating. She rushed to the hospital, accompanied by the rest of the Prescott family. When they arrived, Eleanor was shocked by James's condition. His face was grotesquely swollen, and he had lost most of his teeth.

"Jeremy, what the hell happened!?" Eleanor demanded angrily.

"Mom," Jeremy began hesitantly, "when we got there, we were told to wait. We thought we'd meet the CEO, but we were made to wait for hours. Finally, James lost it and went to confront the receptionist, who in turn called security to… handle the situation."

"How could you just stand there and watch him get beaten? Why didn't you do anything?" Eleanor asked, her voice laced with fury. Jeremy lowered his head in shame.

"So I take it you didn't get the deal," Bridget interjected.

"No," Jeremy replied quietly. "They said they would only work with Sarah. If she's not our representative, they'll cut the deal. Also, they still plan to cripple our businesses if we don't comply."

The family members' faces turned grave. It was clear their world was beginning to crumble.

"Why don't we take them to court and sue for breach of contract?" one of the members suggested, his voice rising with hope. The room seemed to brighten at the idea. If they sued Apex for breach of contract, they could potentially secure the 300 million stated in the agreement.

"Don't be an idiot," Bridget snapped. "Apex is a powerful company. They probably have the best lawyers money can buy. But let's say we win—what then? We'll have made a powerful enemy. They're already causing us to lose so much money. Let's not give them Another reason to target us. We should just give in to their demands"

Eleanor listened to Bridget's words, her mind racing. She couldn't understand why Apex was being so difficult. What was so special about Sarah that they would cause such a ruckus? Nevertheless, Sarah appeared to be their only hope of saving the family.

"Jeremy, call Sarah and tell her to come here," Eleanor ordered.

Jeremy dialed Sarah's number. The phone rang, but after a few seconds, the call was cut off. He tried again, but the same thing happened. No one needed to guess what was happening—Sarah was ignoring the call.